diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 82c68136fe..c084350eef 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,11 +8,13 @@ include ./vendor/github.com/openshift/build-machinery-go/make/targets/openshift/
 export BIN_TIMESTAMP ?=$(shell date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
 export TIMESTAMP ?=$(shell echo $(BIN_TIMESTAMP) | tr -d ':' | tr 'T' '-' | tr -d 'Z')
 
-RELEASE_PRE :=4.7.0-0.microshift
+RELEASE_BASE := 4.7.0
+RELEASE_PRE := ${RELEASE_BASE}-0.microshift
 # Overload SOURCE_GIT_TAG value set in vendor/github.com/openshift/build-machinery-go/make/lib/golang.mk
 # because since it doesn't work with our version scheme.
 SOURCE_GIT_TAG :=$(shell git describe --tags --abbrev=7 --broke --match '$(RELEASE_PRE)*' || echo '4.7.0-0.microshift-unknown')
 
+RPM_REL := $(shell git describe --tags | sed s/${RELEASE_PRE}-//g | sed s/-/_/g )
 SRC_ROOT :=$(shell pwd)
 
 BUILD_CFG :=./images/build/Dockerfile
@@ -79,6 +81,14 @@ cross-build-linux-arm64:
 cross-build: cross-build-linux-amd64 cross-build-linux-arm64
 .PHONY: cross-build
 
+devel-rpm:
+	rpmbuild -bb --build-in-place microshift.spec --define="release ${RPM_REL}" --define="version ${RELEASE_BASE}"
+.PHONY: local-rpmº
+
+devel-srpm:
+	rpmbuild -bs --build-in-place microshift.spec --define="release ${RPM_REL}" --define "version ${RELEASE_BASE}"
+.PHONY: local-srpm
+
 ###############################
 # containerized build targets #
 ###############################
diff --git a/microshift.spec b/microshift.spec
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f0bd79aeb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/microshift.spec
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+%{!?github_tag: %global github_tag 4.7.0-0.microshift-2021-08-31-224727}
+%{!?version: %global version 4.7.0}
+%{!?release: %global release 2021_08_31_224727}
+
+# golang specifics
+%global golang_version 1.15
+#debuginfo not supported with Go
+%global debug_package %{nil}
+# modifying the Go binaries breaks the DWARF debugging
+%global __os_install_post %{_rpmconfigdir}/brp-compress
+
+Name: microshift
+Version: %{version}
+Release: %{release}%{dist}
+# this can be %{timestamp}.git%{short_hash} later for continous main builds
+Summary: Microshift binary
+License: ASL 2.0
+URL: https://github.com/redhat-et/microshift
+
+%if ! 0%{?local_build:1}
+Source0: https://github.com/redhat-et/microshift/archive/refs/tags/%{github_tag}.tar.gz
+%endif
+
+%if 0%{?go_arches:1}
+ExclusiveArch: %{go_arches}
+%else
+ExclusiveArch: x86_64 aarch64 ppc64le s390x
+%endif
+
+BuildRequires: gcc
+BuildRequires: glibc-static
+BuildRequires: golang >= %{golang_version}
+BuildRequires: make
+
+Requires: cri-o
+Requires: cri-tools
+%{?systemd_requires}
+
+%description
+Microshift is a research project that is exploring how OpenShift Kubernetes
+can be optimized for small form factor and edge computing.
+
+Edge devices deployed out in the field pose very different operational,
+environmental, and business challenges from those of cloud computing.
+These motivate different engineering
+trade-offs for Kubernetes at the far edge than for cloud or near-edge
+scenarios. Microshift's design goals cater to this:
+
+make frugal use of system resources (CPU, memory, network, storage, etc.),
+tolerate severe networking constraints, update (resp. roll back) securely,
+safely, speedily, and seamlessly (without disrupting workloads), and build on
+and integrate cleanly with edge-optimized OSes like Fedora IoT and RHEL for Edge,
+while providing a consistent development and management experience with standard
+OpenShift.
+
+We believe these properties should also make Microshift a great tool for other
+use cases such as Kubernetes applications development on resource-constrained
+systems, scale testing, and provisioning of lightweight Kubernetes control planes.
+
+Note: Microshift is still early days and moving fast. Features are missing.
+Things break. But you can still help shape it, too.
+
+%prep
+
+# Unpack the sources, unless it's a localbuild
+%if ! 0%{?local_build:1}
+%setup -n microshift-%{github_tag}
+%endif
+
+%build
+
+GOOS=linux
+
+%ifarch ppc64le
+GOARCH=ppc64le
+%endif
+
+%ifarch %{arm} aarch64
+GOARCH=arm64
+%endif
+
+%ifarch s390x
+GOARCH=s390x
+%endif
+
+%ifarch x86_64
+GOARCH=amd64
+%endif
+
+make _build_local GOOS=${GOOS} GOARCH=${GOARCH}
+cp ./_output/bin/${GOOS}_${GOARCH}/microshift ./_output/microshift
+
+%install
+
+install -d %{buildroot}%{_bindir}
+install -p -m755 ./_output/microshift %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/microshift
+restorecon -v %{buildroot}%{_bindir}/microshift
+
+install -d -m755 $RPM_BUILD_ROOT/%{_unitdir}
+install -p -m644 systemd/microshift.service %{buildroot}%{_unitdir}/microshift.service
+
+mkdir -p -m755 %{buildroot}/var/run/flannel
+mkdir -p -m755 %{buildroot}/var/run/kubelet
+mkdir -p -m755 %{buildroot}/var/lib/kubelet/pods
+mkdir -p -m755 %{buildroot}/var/run/secrets/kubernetes.io/serviceaccount
+mkdir -p -m755 %{buildroot}/var/hpvolumes
+restorecon -v %{buildroot}/var/hpvolumes
+
+%post
+
+%systemd_post microshift.service
+
+%preun
+
+%systemd_preun microshift.service
+
+
+%files
+
+%license LICENSE
+%{_bindir}/microshift
+%{_unitdir}/microshift.service
+
+%changelog
+* Mon Sep 20 2021 Miguel Angel Ajo <majopela@redhat.com> . 4.7.0-2021_08_31_224727
+- Initial packaging
diff --git a/systemd/microshift.service b/systemd/microshift.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0425b12b09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/systemd/microshift.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Microshift
+After=crio.service
+
+[Service]
+WorkingDirectory=/usr/bin/
+ExecStart=microshift run
+Restart=always
+User=root
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target